The chain has recategorized its tacos by protein and brought some prep in-house
Torchy’s Tacos recently rolled out a new menu and installed new equipment along with it.
The fast-casual chain based in Austin, Texas, has installed combi ovens to speed up cook times and improve consistency at its 126 locations while also reorganizing the menu to make it easier for guests to use.
Tacos, which make up the bulk of the offerings, are now organized according to protein — chicken, beef, pork, and shrimp & salmon — except for its all-day breakfast tacos made with eggs, which have their own section, and its avocado tacos which are listed under a “Veggie” category.
The chain now has two vegetarian tacos. The Fried Avocado taco had already been on the menu and features a choice of fried or fresh avocado topped with refried pinto beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, mixed cheese blend and poblano salsa in a corn tortilla. It is now joined by the Fo Sho taco, which has avocado, refried pinto beans, Mexican rice, grilled onions and peppers, grilled corn relish, fried onions, and cilantro in a corn tortilla with a side of spicy Diablo Sauce.
Torchy’s said in a release announcing the new menu that the Fo Sho is intended to “highlight the fresh ingredients and made-to-order emphasis in Torchy’s kitchens.”
The chain also has added a new appetizer option called The Threesome, combining its green chile queso with guacamole and choice of salsa. Additionally, it’s replacing the homestyle potatoes in its breakfast tacos with increasingly trendy potato tots. Those tots are also part of a new side dish called Damn Good Tots, a play on Torchy’s tagline of Damn Good Tacos, for which are smothered in queso and topped with bacon bits.
Torchy’s is also switching up its taco lineup. It’s making former limited-time offer The Hogfather a permanent menu item. That’s made with green chile pork carnitas, teriyaki sauce, bacon, fried onions, grilled corn relish, Cotija cheese, and cilantro in a flour tortilla, served with a side of Diablo Sauce.
Additionally, the Cougar, another former LTO, has been renamed the Republican and is a permanent menu item made with smoked beef brisket, fried onions, grilled corn relish, and cilantro in a flour tortilla with chipotle and barbecue sauces.
The former Republican, made with grilled jalapeño cheddar sausage, pico de gallo, and cheddar Jack cheese with poblano sauce in a flour tortilla, is being removed from the permanent menu.
The Democrat, made with beef barbacoa, avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, onion, a lime wedge and tomatillo salsa on a corn tortilla, remains.
Cheryl Drummond, senior director of culinary innovation, said that apart from the new ovens, operational changes have been made to ramp up Torchy’s made-from-scratch approach. The buttermilk-style churros are now being made from pâte-a-choux that’s made in-house, as are the tortillas. Drummond has also streamlined operations to cross-utilize items such as the corn relish, which is now used on any menu item that includes corn.
Several different corn preparations existed in the past, she said.
Drummond added that those items that have been removed haven’t exactly been retired; the chain offers a rotating Taco of the Month, that often features items no longer on the main menu.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
